Jewelry article adapted for extension from eyeglasses

Abstract

A jewelry article is adapted for attachment as an extension of the temple arm on conventional eyeglasses. The jewelry extension, or "glasstension", grips the temple arm with an elastic loop portion of a gripping member, and the gripping member in turn supports one or more elongated strands of jewelry type decorations, such as beads and charms. Each glasstension is a unitary piece, with the elongated decorative strands being securely affixed onto the gripping member. In one particular embodiment, the glasstension includes two or more decorative strands, and two additional gripping members attached at or near the ends of two of the decorative strands, allowing the glasstension to be converted from a single sided glasstension to a combined double sided glasstension and eyeglass retainer.

I claim: 
     
       1. Ornamental eyewear, comprising: an eyeglass frame having a pair of temple arms;   first, second and third gripping members, each receivable on the temple arms of the eyeglass frame;   first and second decorative strands, each of which includes a first end and a second end, the first and second strands being connected to one of the first and second gripping members, respectively;   an end of each of the first and second decorative strands being connected to an attachment anchor, thus forming a necklace portion between the first and second gripping members, the necklace portion having a center;   the attachment anchor being operative for attaching the third gripping member to said necklace portion;   wherein the eyewear is convertible between a first operative configuration in which the attachment anchor is attached to the third gripping member and the third gripping member is received on a single one of the eyeglass temple arms to provide a single sided decoration, and a second operative configuration in which the first and second gripping members are received on opposite temple arms of the eyeglass frame to provide a double sided decorative effect as well as a capability to function as an eyeglass retainer.   
     
     
       2. The ornamental eyewear as recited in claim 1 in which the first and second decorative strands have unequal lengths, such that the attachment anchor is offset from the center of the necklace portion. 
     
     
       3. The ornamental eyewear as recited in claim 1 in which the first and second gripping members are attached to the first and second strands, respectively, at an attachment point located between the first and second ends of each decorative strand, thereby forming a terminal end on each decorative strand which extends beyond the attachment point to provide a decorative effect in both the first and second operative configurations. 
     
     
       4. The ornamental eyewear as recited in claim 3 which includes means for attaching jewelry accessories onto the first and second decorative strands at the attachment point of the first and second gripping members. 
     
     
       5. The ornamental eyewear as recited in claim 4 in which the means for attaching jewelry is readily releasable from the first and second decorative strands, such that plural jewelry accessories may be added, removed, and interchanged. 
     
     
       6. The ornamental eyewear as recited in claim 1 which includes means for attaching jewelry accessories onto the first and second decorative strands at spaced apart locations extending back from the first and second gripping members towards the attachment anchor. 
     
     
       7. The ornamental eyewear as recited in claim 1 in which the third gripping member is fixedly attached onto the attachment anchor. 
     
     
       8. The ornamental eyewear as recited in claim 7 in which the attachment anchor is formed by a decorative member having a solid body formed with separate attachment points for the third gripping member and the first and second decorative strands. 
     
     
       9. The ornamental eyewear as recited in claim 1 in which the third gripping member is releasably attachable to the attachment anchor for removal in the second operative configuration. 
     
     
       10. The ornamental eyewear as recited in claim 9 in which the attachment anchor comprises a releasable clasp for attaching to the third gripping member, with the releasable clasp being fixedly attached together with the second ends of the first and second decorative strands. 
     
     
       11. The ornamental eyewear as recited in claim 9 in which the attachment anchor comprises a fixed ring fixedly attached together with the second ends of the first and second decorative strands, and releasable attachment of the third gripping member is provided by a releasable clasp fixedly attached onto the third gripping member for releasably engaging the fixed ring of the attachment anchor. 
     
     
       12. The ornamental eyewear as recited in claim 9 in which the attachment anchor comprises an intermediate strand connected between two stopping members, in which each stopping member connects to the second end of one of the first and second decorative strands to form the necklace portion, and in which releasable attachment of the third gripping member is provided by a releasable clasp fixedly attached onto the third gripping member, the releasable clasp being releasably engagable around the intermediate strand but with an interior area small enough to be held captive between the stopping members.